A Summit County business owner has entered the 2024 CrossFit Games

Summit County business owner John George left the 2023 CrossFit Games wanting to achieve more.

After graduating and making the national championship, George – who owns Mountain Wave and Blue River Sports – fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a senior championship.

Instead of throwing in the towel and focusing on other active pursuits in the Summit County, George returned to CrossFit Breckenridge, where he has trained for over ten years now, and began working with trainer Dan Messinger. to achieve his dream of being called the “Fittest on Earth”.

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CrossFit is a popular form of exercise that includes a variety of high-intensity functional movements. Common exercises include rowing, push-ups, running, deadlifts, burpees, dumbbell snatches and box jumping.

Every year, the CrossFit Games are held to find the “best” CrossFit athletes in the world and competitors who compete individually or in teams.

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With a good workout built from biking around Summit County, George was invited to his first CrossFit workout in 2009 by a close friend. George was reluctant to join what at the time seemed to be a fitness fad, but he soon discovered that it was the perfect form of exercise as he grew older.

George said: “It worked really well for me. “Because when you grow up, you tend to disappear. I feel like this is what people my age need – to lift more weights. ”

Gradually George fell in love with CrossFit and in 2018 he started competing in CrossFit competitions. Despite the fact that it was his first time in the CrossFit competition circuit, George was able to place 26th in the South West region, 294th in the US and 352nd in the world.

George took several seasons away from competition over the next few years before returning in 2022. However, in 2023, George’s hard work paid off, finally qualifying for the Games of home of the first CrossFit in 2023.

“I had technical problems in 2022,” said George. “I didn’t have proper wifi when I needed it. There was a deadline. I couldn’t do my practice during the semi-finals. Last year, Dan Messinger, my coach, he took care of the technical issues.”

George qualified for the 2023 CrossFit Games by competing in a nearly open competition where the Summit County resident was able to place in the top 10% of workout video submissions. CrossFit.

George went on to compete in the quarterfinals and semi-finals where he was able to place well enough to earn a spot at the CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin. Competing against other CrossFit athletes aged 65 and over from around the world, George racked up points in his assigned tasks.

George placed first in the 5K cross country, third in the “Endure the Coliseum” exercise, fourth in the “Helen” exercise, sixth in the pull-up competition and seventh in the gymnastics competition – chipper.

George scored a total of 520 points for the CrossFit workout series to tie with American Tom Muhlbeier for third place. With the same number of points, the tiebreaker came down to the final event where Muhlbeier placed higher than George. Muhlbeier was eventually awarded the final spot on the podium as George finished a close fourth.

“It was very disappointing to be so close and not get there,” George said of missing out on the podium in 2023. “It was motivation to give it another shot.”

George returned to CrossFit Breckenridge where Messinger and Dr. Josh Jones of Apollo Performance helped George achieve his goal of finishing on the podium at the 2024 CrossFit Games.

In the months leading up to the 2024 CrossFit Games, George said he has tried to channel the hard-working attitude that many Summit County athletes have as they pursue their athletic careers.

“It’s like everything,” George said. “Summit County has a lot of athletes, and they all train for something. Everyone has the same hard work to a certain point and supports the little mind. That’s what I did a lot. ”

By attending CrossFit Breckenridge’s scheduled training sessions and continuing to run alone, George made himself an athlete who could end up on the podium at the 2024 championships.

For the second straight year, George qualified for the CrossFit Games, this time traveling to Birmingham, Alabama for the masters level competition from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

George, 68, amassed a total of 734 points throughout the four-day competition to be crowned the “Fittest on Earth” in the 65 and over category. After coming up short in 2023, the accomplishment was a testament not only to George’s perseverance, but also to the unwavering support from the Summit County community.

George said: “It was amazing. “When you get to my age, the natural way of thinking tells you that you have to finish. It’s too much fun not to do. It’s fun. I can still walk. … Having that support (Messenger and Josh) it was amazing. I can’t say enough good things about that.”